2 Killed, 7 Injured in Crash of Navy-Leased Plane at Air Base
Two people were killed and seven injured when an executive-type turbo-prop plane leased by the Navy crashed Monday at Edwards Air Force Base, the Navy said.
Details of the crash, including the names of the victims, were not made public.
The plane had taken off from the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake and headed to Edwards, where it crashed at 12:30 p.m., said Cathy Partusch, public affairs officer at the naval station.
Six of the seven survivors were in serious condition, and one received less serious injuries, Partusch said.
Both civilians and military personnel were on the plane, she said, but she could not give the number of each.
The plane was a Mitsubishi MU-2, a high-winged, twin-engine turboprop that carries a maximum of seven passengers and two crew members, Partusch said.
The naval air weapons station, about 90 miles north of Palmdale near the Kern County town of Ridgecrest, specializes in development and testing of air-launched weapons, such as the Sidewinder air-to-air missile. It covers about one million acres and has about 7,000 employees.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
